From the blurb\"This, the first modern biography of John Jervis, who became Admiral of the Fleet Lord St Vincent, is important both for the subject himself and for the oblique light it throws on Nelson\'s personality. St Vincent, who was born twenty three years before Nelson, and survived eighteen years after Trafalgar, fundamentally influenced the younger man\'s career despite the two men being dramatically different characters. Without him, Nelson\'s genius might have been submerged by professional jealousy or emotional fragility. It was St Vincent\'s strategy and preparation which positioned Nelson to win his three famous victories, while St Vincent himself made vital contributions not only to the defeat of Napoleon but to the well-being of the Royal Navy.Before Jervis became First Lord of the Admiralty, the Navy had been severely weakened by corruption in the dockyards, nepotism in appointments and the appalling conditions under which seamen lived and worked. St Vincent set out to correct this situation and he deserves the profound gratitude of the nation, not only for enabling Nelson to exercise his tactical brilliance, but also his role in preventing Napoleon from invading the British Isles. This superbly researched and well-written work recounts how this controversial seaman put his duty, as he saw it, before everything else, in defence of his country and for the improvement of the Royal Navy.Admiral Lord St Vincent - Saint or Tyrant? is compelling reading for all with an interest in British maritime history and reveals the true character of a man who was formidable even by the exacting standards of his period.\" NB: Slight edge-wear. Does include a dust jacket in very good condition.